You beat me to it Chip. I was going to say "Stop, Uncle Fred! Stop!" I wonder if the rope swing is still in the back yard lol.

Though I don't have my movie to refer too as it is packed away for the move, this coming Wednesday, I thought the movie mentioned that the house was in Great Neck, or am I thinking of the scene where Kris and Fred were talking before they went to bed when Kris was hinting about a house after Susan showed him the picture of the house she wanted for Christmas. Or was the Nursing Home in the movie in Great Neck?

In the movie, the nursing home (Brooks' Memorial Home For The Aged) was located at 126 Maplewood Drive in Great Neck, and the location that Fred was thinking of for a house (a Cape Cod model) was Manhasset.

Great picture! Great work in tracking down the house!!!!! I actually tracked the house down in 2007 took some digital shots that I shared with people at Macy's! Many people knew about the house in Port Washington area for years and there is a website tat mentions it. I tracked it down by reading Maureen O'Hara's autobigraphy, I got to meet her and she is a grand lady and a true legend! In her book she tells the story that the day of the filming it was very cold, the cameras were giving them trouble due to the cold and a lady across the street came over and offered them shelter in her home and some nice hot coffee till the cameras were ready again. The lady was Vaughn Meile, she stayed friend with Ms O'Hara over the years, Ms Meile as of 2007 was living in California and told me when I contacted her where the house was located!

It's soooo cool to see this house now. I always wondered what happened to it, and would have to give some serious thought as to what I would give just to walk in the front door and stand by the fire place!!

I remember hearing (or reading) somewhere that, at the time of his death, John Payne was working on a sequal to "Miracle on 34th Street" but nothing had materialized. Does anyone know anything about this?

No Bill, I don't believe this is true as I have never heard or read of any sequel that was being planned at that time in 1977. What's more, it is highly doubtful that yet another sequel would be planned so soon after the 1973 sequel that starred Sebastian Cabot.

I checked the book and Maureen O'Hara says that they had been talking about doing a sequel for years and that John Payne did eventually write a screenplay but died before he ever sent it to her.

But to reiterate what I had said earlier, nothing was in production or officially being planned at that time. This idea of another sequel was simply a velleity on Payne's part -- nothing more, nothing less. And it's highly doubtful he would have found a studio willing to bankroll the project so soon after the poorly received sequel that had just come out in 1973.

I didn't want to start another thread as there are already 2 threads about Miracle on 34th. Street. So I figured this would be and OK Place to continue the discussion though it really has nothing to do with the house itself. But the other thread is about the location for the Brooks Memorial Home For The Aged.

A group I belong to on Yahoo has been discussing Christmas Movies each month and this month's discussion is of course "Miracle on 34th Street".

Someone in the group posted a link to Flickr of a collection of photo's from the movie and some were of deleted scenes. I have the 2-Disc Anniversary DVD, but don't remember seeing any of these pictures in the special features, so I'm not sure where they came from and from one of the pictures, it shows that a working title for the movie was "It's Only Human" and the United Kingdom release was titled "Big Heart"

I was surprised that there were so many deleted scenes as this is the first that I had heard of anything surviving from the movie. Of course, a single picture wouldn't be enough to restore a deleted scene, but it does give you an idea of what the movie may have been like with the scenes left in the movie.

In all movies that are made there are usually many scenes which shamefully just end up on the cutting room floor. Some are justifiably cut for time's sake, or because they slow the movie down, or perhaps because they don't help promote the plot of the story, etc. But many times scenes are just needlessly cut for whatever reasons the director, editor, or perhaps the studio execs might have had at the time. And tragically, this deleted footage is usually discarded to the trash heap and lost forever. Unfortunately, when making a movie, nobody associated with the film really knows for sure what kind of reception it will have or whether it will be a hit -- letalone if it will become a classic. In fact, Alvin Greenman (who played Alfred in the movie) told me that he never in his wildest dreams ever imagined it would become the legendary classic that it is today.

Believe me, if 20th Century-Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck, or director George Seaton, or any of the other crew making the picture knew at the time this movie would become one of the most cherished classics of all time, many of those scenes would have been left in the final cut of the film, or at least saved for posterity's sake. But unfortunately at the time, they just had no way of knowing.

On another note, it's a little known fact that the role of Kris Kringle in the movie was originally offered to Cecil Kellaway, who turned it down. The role then went to his cousin, Edmund Gwenn. While I love Cecil Kellaway, I don't think this picture would have had near the magic and sparkle that it did with the great Edmund Gwenn. Some things just work out for a reason.

Even when Edwin Gwenn played Dr. Harold Medford in the 1954 movie "Them" As an Myrmecologist/Entomologist. There was that magic and sparkle that he had in my opinion in Miracle on 34th. Street. I don't know if it's because I always associated him with Miracle on 34th Street or not.

Oh well, at least some of the "Stills" from the deleted scenes still exist.

That's funny you should mention the movie Them, because when Edmund Gwenn made it he was suffering from severe arthritis; and for the scenes that were filmed in the desert (where temperatures sometimes reached 110 degrees), he was in severe pain. However, being the consummate actor that he was, you'd never know it by seeing his performance.

Edmund Gwenn was great in so many films. Among my favorites were Pride and Prejudice (1940);Foreign Correspondent (1940);Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941);The Devil and Miss Jones (1941);Lassie Come Home (1943);Undercurrent (1946);Miracle on 34th Street (1947);Life with Father (1947);Apartment for Peggy (1948); and The Trouble with Harry (1955).

Here's a great promotional photo of Mr. Gwenn from the great classic film, Pride and Prejudice:

I know I've seen all of the movies at least once when I was much younger, but haven't seen most of them since the 1960's but I don't remember seeing Edmund Gwenn in them. But being I've only seen them once, that's probably why, and the only movies I've seen several times are "Miracle on 34th. Street" and "Them" If my memory serves, the first time I saw "Them" was after school on what was called "The Early Show" back in the 1960's. I can't say whether it was a network program or our local station program because back then, the FCC Ruled that local channels must dedicate a certain amount of air time to local programming and then a certain part of that was alloted to children's programming.

There were a lot of other great movies that we used to watch back then. "The Tingler" (1959) with Vincent Price. "Horror Hotel" aka "The City of the Dead" (1960) with Christopher Lee. "The Crawling Eye" (1958) with Forrest Tucker. Just to name a few and these were on I believe Monday through Friday, but some of them could've been on Chiller Theater too, but it was so long ago, I can't say for sure. A few of these I have on VHS or DVD, and watch them from time to time too. But as I mentioned, the other's with Edmund Gwenn, I've only seen once or twice and probably didn't associate him with those movies being I was so young.

Fans make Long Island dream house Yule institution

It’s the famous Long Island house that brought joy to Natalie Wood’s
little-girl character in the Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th
Street.’’

But for the couple living in the charming Port Washington cape house, it’s just home sweet home.

“We
just love this house. We knew it was something special before we even
knew it was a celebrity house,” said Orrie Frutkin, 68, and his wife,
Goodie, who moved there with their two kids in 1980.

“We’re happy
to see people’s eyes light up when we tell them it’s the house in
‘Miracle on 34th Street,’ but to us, it’s just a cozy, comfortable place
to live,” Orrie Frutkin said

The house takes center stage in the 1947 flick near the end, when
6-year-old Susan Walker — played by then-child actress Wood — is
devastated to learn that a Macy’s Santa, Kris Kringle, seemingly can’t
deliver on his promise to give her the home she’s always wanted,
including a big tree and a swing in the back yard.

“You couldn’t
get it because you’re not Santa Claus,” Susan mournfully tells Kris at a
Christmas party. “You’re just a nice old man with whiskers.”

But
then a Yuletide miracle occurs: While driving home, Susan spots her
dream house on a hill with a “For Sale” sign out front. She, her mother
and her mother’s boyfriend dash inside — and discover Kris Kringle’s
cane leaning on the fireplace.

The Frutkins’ daughter was so moved
by the scene that years ago that she bought an identical cane at a
thrift shop and made it a fixture in the living room.

Though the
indoor scenes were filmed elsewhere, the exterior is still unmistakable
to “Miracle” fans, who are frequently seen posing out front for
Christmas photos.

“Just the other day, we came home and saw a
woman and a child, maybe 4 years old, starting to go up our stony
steps,” Frutkin said. “The woman saw me and said, ‘Do you live here?’

“That’s when I realized her husband was across the street taking pictures — which, of course, was OK.”

The Frutkins said they occasionally name-drop where they live — just to get a kick out of people’s reactions.

On
a visit to Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square last December, the
couple noticed a little girl and her parents admiring the window
display, which just happened to show miniature scenes from “Miracle on
34th Street.”

“The girl was visibly excited to be looking at the windows. Her
mother said, ‘That’s her favorite movie,’ ” Orrie Frutkin recalled.

“My wife and I looked at each other and decided to tell her where we lived.

Of course, economics people today will proclaimed in strong terms, “Its not that simple!” However, it sure seem simple back in 1947!

I could do the same for gas prices, compare and contrast. And I tell people American life was better back in 1947.

In the end, I have concluded that 1947 life for the average American was more affordable and life goals were in reach for most - High School level or College. Stable job, marriage, a Colonial/Cape Cod, white picket fence, and a swing set in the backyard.

1947 and “Miracle on 34th Street”…Real life and Fiction…Both overlap when it comes to Literature, Films….

17 year old Alfred making 50 cents/hr (assumed - maybe better), $20/wk, $80/mo just sweeping floors (If working full time). And can Rent a one room studio for $20/mo, $40/mo…In Manhattan!

And 17 year old Alfred had the whole USA at his finger tips. And took it for granted. As he should for it was natural American life…$1,200/yr tuition rates at Yale or work at a Warehouse for $3,000/yr - “Average Man Salary”. Service Station (Gas Station), Factory, Carpenter, Plumber, Electrician, Supermarket Cashier, Soda Jerk, Macys, Pharmacy Tech (or equivalent of 1947), Postal Clerk….House, Cars, Land (Acres of land). All was there! Equal opportunity for all.

A Fountain Attendant (Soda Jerk - High School Diploma) at $32.50/week, 80 cents/hr 1946. $1,560/yr. And all was in reach. House to College. His choice.

“I Believe” Me too! A fictional movie scene reflecting real life. In reality, there was Lawyers, Macys and people who worked there. Little girls with dreams of their own. And $15,000 homes…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh3QfXXjT_c

I watch “Miracle on 34th Street” and truly appreciate what I am watching. More than ever!